Page 52 of The Silent Mountain
Aza chuckles. “Shayan isn’t half as icy as he appears. I am sure he loves Tynan deeply.”
“Did he tell him?” I ask.
“I am not sure. I doubt he would easily talk about his feelings,” she admits.
Maybe that’s the problem. I know Ty. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and he is obviously head over heels for his handsome, stoic mate. Shayan, however, is a much more distant and composed man. They need to learn to communicate better. Maybe I can nudge Tynan in the right direction.
“And what about my siblings? Any news? You said Kilah was traveling.”
“Oh, Flinn went with my brother to the human realm,” she says. “And guess what? Kilah is accompanying him!”
“No way!” I exclaim. Of all my siblings, Flinn and Kilah have always liked each other the least. Flinn has always taken a particular liking to me, while Kilah used to look down on me for not being a typical princess. It was the reason for Flinn always calling her out on her attitude. We mended our bond recently, and it seems Flinn and Kilah did the same. Still, to imagine she would actually accompany him. “How come?”
“Well, my home country is very traditional and has a tight protocol to follow. And you know Flinn. He doesn’t care about these things at all.” Aza smiles. “Kilah, however, knows everything about the proper protocols. She will do well with the palace and my father.”
“I am curious how this will play out,” I mutter. “I am not so worried about Kilah. You are right, she will cope well. But Flinn…”
“Maybe Flinn is what my former home needs,” Aza says. “Things have been off there for a while.”
“And you think Flinn can put things into order again?” I ask, amused. “I think he will rather rile everything up.”
“Riling everything up might just be the best,” she chuckles. “As the werewolf king’s brother, Flinn has immunity and can do as he pleases. I hope he makes something out of it.”
“Knowing Flinn, the king of mischief, he will.” I put on a beautiful necklace, a piece my mom gifted to me, and get up to turn to Aza. “Be honest, how do I look?”
“If Favian doesn’t get speechless from seeing you, I don’t know what will because you look amazing.”
“Kilah really knows her craft,” I admit. “Can you tell her when you see her again?”
“I will, but I think she would be happy to hear it from you.”
“I could write her a letter,” I say. “Or would that be weird?”
“No, I think she would be incredibly happy to receive a letter from you, especially when you tell her that you loved something she picked for you.”
Aza gets up also and stretches lightly. By our Goddess Aine, everything she does is so graceful. Next to her, I feel like a klutz. I try not to compare myself to her though. She is my brother’s beloved wife and his queen, and I love her like a sister. So, I try to focus on what she told me about how I am my own type of princess and future queen, and how the dragons might need someone like me.
This gives me a new sprout of confidence. “So, how am I going to have my very own dramatic entrance?” I ask Aza. “Oh, and just so you know, don’t you dare tell anyone that I just asked that.”
Aza smirks. “I would never,” she says. “Let me go first with Tynan and Shayan,” she advises. “You wait for fifteen minutes. I will tell Favian that something came up with your dress. And then you will make your entrance, all by yourself, all eyes on you. They have not seen you in such an exquisite dress yet. Believe me, they won’t be able to take their eyes off you.”
Should I really do that? I am not normally one to bask in this type of attention. I am very much the athletic girl with rather sporty attire, but for once, I want to be a princess.
Let’s do it,Ros exclaims.I want to see our mate’s expression!
“Ros is on board,” I tell Aza. “And I am too.”
I hope I won’t regret it, and I certainly hope the dragons won’t laugh at me. There is no time to change my mind, though, because Aza is already hurrying outside to meet with Shayan and Ty and leaves me behind.
My heart beats so fast, I have difficulty calming it. Why am I so nervous? I have never been like that. I don’t know why this is so important for me; I just know it is. It seemingly takes forever for fifteen minutes to pass, but eventually, they do, and I find myself standing up again, swiftly brushing over my dress, before taking a deep breath.
Let’s do this.
The corridor to the huge ceremony hall, where everyone is gathering, is long and vacant, and my footsteps echo throughout until I reach the massive entrance door. There are two guards there, reaching out their hands to open it for me.
When I step out onto the balustrade and begin descending the stairs, I realize one thing: Aza was right. All eyes are on me.
And another thing: It was worth it!
